Jason Tom
Jason Tom | |
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Tom at the Williamsburg Bridge
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jason Tom |
Also known as | 譚志豪, 谭志豪 |
Born | Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States |
November 21, 1982
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2004–present |
Associated acts | Michael Winslow Jake Shimabukuro Kamuela Kahoano Pimpbot Kealoha Makana |
Website | jasontom |
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Jason Tom | |||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 譚志豪 | ||||||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 谭志豪 | ||||||||||
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Jason Tom (born November 21, 1982) is an American musician, performance poet, and motivational speaker known for beatboxing in music, dance, and poetry slams. He founded the Human Beatbox Academy, which has offered a curriculum taught on tour, at studios, and in after-school programs and workshops since 2006. Tom co-founded the Art Smith (currently known as The Creative) at the Chinatown Artist Lofts and Chinatown Courtyard of the Mendonca Building with Youth Speaks Hawaii and Pacific Tongues. His Hawaii beatbox class at the Art Smith was included in "Our Favorite Things" in the April 2012 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine.[1] Tom has opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, and Quest Crew.[2]
Contents
Biography
Early life, background, and education
At age four, Tom recorded himself on audio cassette tapes singing Michael Jackson's "Bad."[2] He combined scat singing with an urban beatboxing technique known as an inward K snare drum. Although Tom played a toy piano, a ukulele and the tuba, he used beatboxing and other vocalizing as his primary musical instrument.[3][4][5] He graduated from McKinley High School in 2001.[6]
Tom graduated from Kapiolani Community College as a Phi Theta Kappa honor student with an associate degree in liberal arts in 2007.[6] His Voice I professor at KCC, Lina Doo, introduced him to Tuvan throat singing and he incorporated it into his beatboxing after Doo encouraged him to watch Genghis Blues.[4] Tom received a certificate of completion in intensive Chinese in summer 2006 from the Freeman Foundation China Scholarship Study Abroad Program at Beijing Foreign Studies University.[6]
His secondary-education musical peers included American Idol's Jordan Segundo, Kalei Gamiao, and John Tussey, and he attended the first MELE Songwriters Workshop in 2009. Tom and Yelp Hawaii manager Emi Hart joined Adam Watts' songwriter workshop, and he composed "Listen Carefully (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)".[7][8]
2009–2010
In 2009, Jason Tom was voted the "Best Hawaii Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience" in the Best of Honolulu Weekly issue[9] and was referred to as Hawaii's Premier Human Beatbox in the 808 Scene Zine. In September 2009, filming took place for Shaka Talk's fifth episode, hosted by Diar D.R. Rhea and Edna McMan. After filming took place, Tom flew out to Los Angeles and performed at the International Secret Agents concert produced by Wong Fu Productions and the Far East Movement.[10] The Shaka Talk episode five featured Jason Tom and it aired on October 16, 23, 30th, and November 6th on Olelo Community Media's channel 52.[11] In November 2009, he was the guest entertainer for the TEDxHonolulu conference at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, and was interviewed by Angela Keen.
On November 13th, Tom joined the American Lung Association in Hawaii with Kutmaster Spaz, the 808 Breakers, Shayla Kaai, and Jalee Fuselier on the Music with a Message tour debuting at Pearl City High School.
He represented the state of Hawaii at the Sixth International Human Beatbox Convention and First Inaugural American Beatbox Championships in Brooklyn, New York City.[2][12] His beatbox performance video dubbed "Jason Tom from Hawaii" became the first Hawaii Beatbox video to be featured on the Beatbox Battle TV website. Tom performed at the Bruno Mars concert on December 17.
2011–2012
Jason Tom headlined the Honolulu Twestival event with Kamuela Kahoano, Willow Chang and Emi Hart. Their combined contribution with the Honolulu Twestival team and attendees raised over $2,000 for the Blood Bank of Hawaii.[13][14] Tom also performed for the "Aloha Music For Japan" concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Centerstage.[15] In July, he founded the Human Beatbox Academy (Hawaii Beatbox School) and co-founded the ArtSmith studio in Downtown Honolulu's Arts District.[16]
Tom teamed with Estria and performed at the #WaterWrites Hawaii Mural Unveiling in Kalihi near Honolulu Community College, Estria Graffiti Battle Honolulu & HIstory, and the 5th Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle events and finals in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, California.[17][18][19] He is the recipient of the "Best Solo Performer" Hawaii Scene Choice Award and TEDxHonolulu Conference: It's About Time Presenter Award for "Vocal Groove."
Jason Tom was Top 8 Performance Poet Finalist for HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam Finals.[20] He was the first solo musician to be inducted into the first RAW artists showcase, "Solstice," in the Honolulu Chapter along with Blank Canvas.[21][22][23]
2013
Jason Tom joined the "Say Yes To Purpose" tour with Diverse Art and Academy of Hype while simultaneously performing on the "Music with a Message" tour, visiting middle and high schools throughout the state of Hawaii. Tom is featured in the award-winning "American Beatboxer" film that documented the 2010 International Human Beatbox Convention (Boxcon) and 2010 American Beatbox Championships in Brooklyn, New York. Those events were organized by Humanbeatbox.com and the World Beatbox Association (WBA).[24][25]
2014
Hawaii Beatbox Battle, Art And Flea, and Art After Dark
Jason Tom hosted the 2014 Hawaii Beatbox Battle at Art And Flea Boom Bap in Kakaako. In anticipation of the event, Tom and Aly Ishikuni released the "Do What You Love" video series.[26][27][28][29]
Beatbox Battle TV, SpoCom Anaheim and SpoCom Hawaii
Jason Tom is the first Asian American and Hawaii beatboxer to be featured on the Beatbox Battle TV YouTube Channel.[30][31][32][33][34][35] Tom and Freelance Brand flew out for the Venue Trade Show, met with MC Jin's manager Carl Choi (manager of the Far East Movement when they were signed to an indie music label) of the Great Company, Agenda Trade Show, and he also performed a live set at the SpoCom Anaheim Supershow at the Anaheim Convention Center. He then performed a live set for SpoCom Hawaii at the Hawaii Convention Center as an opener for the B-Boy Battle. SpoCom Anaheim and Hawaii consisted of appearances by Timothy DeLaGhetto also known as Traphik, Janis True, Constance Nunes, Cherry Lei, Akemi Suzuki, and others.[36]
HNL Flow Magazine and American Beatbox championships
Jason Tom is featured in HNL Flow: One For The Books issue number three, as he prepared to compete and be featured at the 5th Annual American Beatbox Championships and States of Beatbox in New York City with headliners Michael Winslow and Reeps One. Also featured at the American Beatbox Championships were B-Art, BBK, Verbal Ase, Heaven, Balu Ballistic, and an appearance by Rahzel at Webster Hall.[37][38] Reeps One personally complimented Tom on his showcase set.[39][40] The "American Beatboxer" film began to screen at universities like Harvard University on October 24, 2014.
ThinkTech Hawaii's Art of Life and YAP Show
On October 31, ThinkTech Hawaii featured Jason Tom in a post-American Beatbox Championship New York interview on the Art of Life Show hosted by Willow Chang, where he shared collaborative plans to work more with Jody Kamisato, Heart & Soul, and Ukulele Hale. That interview followed with an additional ThinkTech Hawaii interview with Tom on the Young Adult Platform (YAP) Show that co-featured comedian Charles Shelley.
Hawaii Beatbox Jam
On November 21, 2014 Tom participated in the Hawaii Beatbox Jam, which took place at Branch Studios Kakaako featuring 15 Hawaiian beatboxers. [41]
Inspirational Speaker and Presenter
TEDx Honolulu Conference: Shift
On November 5, 2009, Tom was one of a number of presenters for the first TEDx Honolulu Conference: Shift at the Hawaii Convention Center with Neil Blecherman, Jill Buck, Henk Rogers, and Kaiser Kuo. He was interviewed by former Hawaii TV news reporter Angela Keen and with the prompting of one of her question he shared, "Successful people fail more." TED is an acronym for Technology Entertainment Design .[42]
[Re]Think: Hawaii Speaker Series at HIFF
Tom spoke at the [Re]think Speaker series at HIFF from October 18–20, 2010 in front of a diverse group of entrepreneurs.[43] Tom also performed on the [Re]think Navatek Dinner Cruise.
TEDx Honolulu Conference: It's About Time
Tom spoke at the TEDx Honolulu Conference on November 1, 2011. TEDx Honolulu: It's About Time was hosted by Ka'ala Souza at the Honolulu Design Center's Cupolo Theatre.[44]
Chevron/Honolulu District Elementary Speech Festival
Jason Tom was featured as an inspirational speaker at the 2013 Chevron/Honolulu District Elementary Speech Festival with 27 elementary schools.
Hawaii Children And Youth Day
Jason Tom has been a feature at the Hawaii Children And Youth Day since 2010. He has performed at the Hawaii State Capitol's Main Stage, 808 Urban Teen Zone, and the PG-13 Zone. In 2010 and 2011, he featured his dance crew that consisted of dancers Yoda, Remedee, Nikki Guess also known as Olopop, Reeses Pieces, Andy Tran. In 2011, he featured Hawaii Beatbox Academy's Eli So Fly (of the 808 BeatVox). In 2013, he featured Hawaii Beatbox Academy's Klimaxe during his solo set at the State Capitol's Main Stage. In 2014, he showcased Hawaii Beatbox Academy's Yo-yogibeatz, Rampage, and Kaimana with Diverse Arts Center, Housing Project 360, and Branch Studios Kakaako. After that, he featured Hawaii Beatbox Academy's Kaimana during his solo set at the PG-13 Zone, and he also collaborated with Trip Sev from Texas during Trip Sev's solo set, and Choatic Five during their set at the PG-13 Zone on their cover rendition of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name."
Releases
Fashion and Music
On the Beat
On July 20, 2010, Jason Tom's "On the Beat" was released during Kaleidoscope at thirtyninehotel in Downtown Honolulu's Arts District. "On the Beat" also appeared at the 2010 International Human Beatbox Convention and the First Inaugural American Beatbox Championship at Littlefield in Brooklyn, New York. His shirt release party in Honolulu featured a collaboration of beatbox, locking, popping, and b-boying with Skillroy and Andy Tran. The design of "On The Beat" was hand drawn by Hawaii artist JKS and concept by Tom in collaboration with JKS was inspired by Robert Crumb's 1970s Keep on Truckin' comic.[2][12]
- Music Videos
"On The Beat" has appeared in music videos for Jeffrey James' TTYM's "Hawaiian Girls" (number one song on Island 98.5) and Pimpbot's "Used To Have Fun" featuring footage from their East Coast Bender Tour.
I'm Movin' On
Jason Tom is featured on the "Im Movin On" track from Faioso's "Nobody Owns Me" debut album, a 2010 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominee in the hip-hop/r&b category.[45][46] Album liner notes credited lyrics & melody by Faioso, music by Jason Tom (ASCAP), produced by Osna (of Angry Locals) and mixed by DJ Packo.
Reception
Veteran entertainment journalist John Berger of the Star Advertiser wrote, "'I'm Movin On' stands out musically in combining stream-of-consciousness lyrics with the human beat box percussion of Jason Tom."[45]
References
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External links
- Official website
- Jason Tom on BEATBOX BATTLE® TELEVISION
- Jason Tom at TED
- TEDx Talk: Vocal Groove at TEDx
- TEDx Talk: Vocal Groove (TEDx Conference: It's About Time)
- TEDx Talk: Successful People Fail More... (TEDx Conference: Shift)
- Jason Tom's channel on YouTube
- Jason Tom on ReverbNation
- Jason Tom on RAW artists
- Jason Tom on Instagram
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved on 2012-02-17
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
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- Pages with reference errors
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- 1982 births
- A cappella
- American beatboxers
- American Christians
- American hip hop musicians
- American male poets
- American musicians of Chinese descent
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- American people of Chinese descent
- American people of Hong Kong descent
- American poets
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- Beatboxers
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